Innate Pharma SA

On October 23, 2018, Innate and AstraZeneca plc ("AstraZeneca") announced an expansion of a pre-existing collaboration agreement, whereby AstraZeneca acquired 9.8% equity stake in Innate and obtained full oncology rights to monalizumab, a first-in-class humanized anti-NKG2A antibody.  As part of this agreement, Innate would receive $100 million in milestone payments at the start of the first Phase 3 clinical trial for monalizumab. 

On September 8, 2020, Innate announced that it had amended its collaboration agreement with AstraZeneca. Innate "will now receive a $50 million payment upon AstraZeneca's dosing of the first patient in the Phase 3 trial, and a $50 million payment after the interim analysis demonstrates the combination meets a pre-defined threshold of clinical activity." 

On this news, the Company’s American Depositary Share ("ADS") price fell $1.62 per share, or 26.6%, to close at $4.45 per ADS on September 8, 2020.

The complaint filed alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company’s business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors that: (1) Innate touted the results of their various Phase 2 trials as being within expectations; (2) Innate continued to reassure investors that they were eligible for the $100 million payment upon first dosing of Phase 3 trials; (3) Innate failed to timely disclose their renegotiations with AstraZeneca to split the $100 million payment into two $50 million payments, to be partially contingent on performance during the Phase 3 trials; and (4) as a result, Defendants' statements about its business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times.